This is a book full of differences and yet similarities, a story Displaying the frailties oh human nature. All the way through the differences between Ma and Arthur, Gnome and Edie and the consistency of Grandmother bring the story to life. I loved the story depicting the various sides of people interspersed with the suffragette period in Manchester and wouldI recommend the book to other readers as it is does so well in describing pent up emotion and strong passions In such a beautiful way. I have to admit that as I read it I could not associate with the book description given , that is until the last chapter when Abigail clarifies the whole book in such a beautiful way. The truth and understanding are hidden from the reader throughout the book in such a strong way. I fell in love with Eddie but could not hate Gnome and the ending made me understand why. Rosie Garland was brave to take on this topic but has ended up giving a different view on our own sexuality and with this new understanding of such issues brings a tolerance of them. As the French would say "viva la difference"

Let me start with a confession. I'm a Rosie Garland fan. I knew her first as a poet and performer, and met her when she was working on her first novel. The Palace of Curiosities was a worthy winner of the 2012 Mslexia Novel Competition and as a Cooperative Society 'Loved by You' winner its reader-appeal is clear. Could her second full-length fiction live up to the expectations set by her debut? Any concern was misplaced; Vixen was totally different but every bit as absorbing. So when Netgalley offered the opportunity to read The Night Brother, I couldn't wait to open its beautiful cover.
Sometimes I thoroughly enjoy reading a book, but am left with a nagging feeling that I've read it - or another very close to it in style or plot - before. Every novel ever written owes something to stories that preceded it. And maybe there are echoes of Orlando or Jekyll and Hyde in The Night Brother. Maybe it is perfect, as the publisher suggests, for fans of Angela Carter, Sarah Waters, Erin Morgenstern. But this wonderful story is entirely its own narrative, and is uniquely 'Garland'.
The Night Brother manages to present authentic Victorian language and dialogue in a style which appeals to a modern readership. The setting - areas of Garland's home city of Manchester - is powerfully evoked without endless descriptive passages. Her characters are convincing and multifaceted - those you love are flawed, and those you find difficult have their redeeming features. And the plot is more than simply a love story. It is a challenging exploration of honesty and integrity.
Rosie Garland's writing has long been applauded by LGBT websites and magazines and has won a number of queer awards, but it would be a massive injustice if the quality of her writing wasn't recognised across the broader context of mainstream quality fiction. Just as Sarah' Waters' novels are widely regarded as excellent and enjoyable reads, so should Garland's. Gnome and Edie and Abigail are engaging characters, trying to find their way in early 20th century Manchester. They have a story to tell. All you have to do is listen and be enthralled.

Intriguing, mind boggling and full of angst, the Night Brother is a tale of gender fluidity, internal conflict and ultimately, love. I struggled a little with the concept at first but I thought the author's writing was superb and I was soon drawn in to the story.

After previously spending time in 'A Palace of Curiosities' and travelling back to the 14th century with 'Vixen', I was over the moon to discover the same staggeringly talented author of these two books has a new one on the horizon - "The Night Brother".

Once again I find myself lost in the reverie of Rosie Garland’s exquisite writing. Extraordinarily enchanting, "The Night Brother"’s emotional bounty caresses each page to boldly pursue the trials that can divide and conquer.

Sharing a parallel existence, so one leads by day and the other by night, we see life through the eyes of Edie and Gnome (Herbert). These unique siblings occupy one body in a challenging world, where gender equality is a ludicrous notion and many battles are fought, both publicly and in private.

Edie's and Gnome’s personalities mature from mischievous children into adults eager spread their wings and take it in reluctant turns to dominate or deny each other’s presence. As happiness beckons they are hounded by confusion and insecurity. Although they are two sides of the same coin acceptance, rather than rejection, could be the difference between a fulfilled life or a forever tormented one.

This is an imaginative and affecting tale where the entire cast of this historical-fantasy-romance stage are performers each worthy of an Oscar. Their aspirations and chosen paths of personal contentment are inspired (particularly in the case of Edie/Gnome’s Nana – that was an excellent move!)

Embracing the intimacies and complexities of the heart and soul "The Night Brother" doesn’t feel like a story, but a delectable gift. All that remains is for me to offer a thunderous round of applause for what is simply an expressive, breath-taking wonder.

I can't resist - here is one of my favourite quotations (taken from the proof copy): "Perhaps love is measured not by how much radiance is keeps to itself, but by how much it shines upon the world."

This storyline was unique to me, I don't think I have read anything set in Manchester. I was hooked from the first page, I thought the author did an amazing job in creating a really interesting and intriguing novel. Even though the novel is told in two different perspectives, it is very easy to tell them apart. Overall I enjoyed this dark novel and strongly recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction.

This book is gorgeous! I fell head-over-heels in love with it. I can't remember the last time I read anything like it. Beautiful, original and absorbing. I want to read it again and again, so I'll be buying a hardback copy and seeking out all of Rosie Garland's backlist. Thanks Borough Press!

Edie and her brother Herbert, nicknamed Gnome, do everything together. As children, growing up above their mother's pub in late 19th-century Manchester, they roam the streets by night, sneaking into firework shows and exploring their town. But, as the years go on, Edie begins to resent Gnome. Every night he drags her out, forcing her to be more daring and naughtier than she wants to be. By day she's left empty and ragged. And the worst thing is that Ma and Nan tell her Gnome doesn't even exist. But he does. He comes every night, regular as clockwork, and Edie begins to dream of ways to control him...

This certainly isn't quite like any other novel I've read and it's hard to talk about it without spoilers. I suggest that, if the first paragraph whets your appetite, you read the book - don't read the back first - and then come back and share your thoughts below. If you carry on, you run the risk of being spoiled. You have been warned.

I haven't read any of Rosie Garland's novels before, but she definitely has an original mind. As Edie and Gnome grow older, their battle for dominance becomes ever stronger, their struggle exacerbated by Ma's blatant favouritism for her precious son and by the common growing pains of adolescence. The two siblings find themselves growing ever more different, Gnome seeking out the rough pleasures of Manchester low life, while Edie strives for self-improvement, frequenting the library and trying to find a path out of her miserable existence. Both begin to loathe the other and, as their childhood closeness evaporates, the siblings embark on a bitter war in which, they believe, only one of them can win. But can a balance be forced to favour only one side, or is compromise possible?

Real spoilers lie in this paragraph, so beware. I found Garland's concept enthralling, but I suppose I wanted slightly more explanation from the novel. How are we, as readers, meant to understand Edie's and Gnome's situation? Is it meant to be some magical curse, placed upon the family? If so, who placed it, when and for what reason? Or is it a slightly fantastical medical issue? If so, what is the physiological explanation behind it? In which circumstances could Edie become pregnant and carry a child to term, as her mother and grandmother have presumably done? Would she have to block Gnome out for nine months? And what of her father? Was there ever a father at all? Does this condition enable self-fertilisation (though the mind boggles at the logistics of that)? Are they the only ones in the world who suffer like this? I appreciated the cameo appearance by the Nereid Monument, of course, but the classical equivalent of the hermaphrodite really isn't the same thing as what Garland offers us. We are very explicitly not dealing with hermaphroditism here, nor with intersexuality, but a kind of very fluid sexual and psychological binarism. The story is fine as a story, but I couldn't help feeling that such an interesting idea needed more exploration.

However, this is definitely something a bit different, with its 19th-century setting and its creative exploration of gender fluidity, sexual identity and lifestyle choices. It will surely appeal to those who've enjoyed Laura Lam's Micah Grey novels, Sarah Waters, or Jeffrey Eugenides's Middlesex - an incongruous mix, perhaps, but one that makes for a genuinely unique novel.

For the post, due to go live on 12 May 2017, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/05/12/the-night-brother-rosie-garland